ExpressVPN Review and 2024 Test Results (Pros & Cons)

ExpressVPN has long been a major player in the VPN industry — but the competition among VPN providers is fierce. Is ExpressVPN still an industry leader, or should you consider other (better) options? And what does the spate of new ExpressVPN audits have to tell us? This new and updated ExpressVPN review for 2024 will answer your questions.

ExpressVPN remains one of the biggest VPNs on the market today. While you will see it being recommended by many big “review” websites, how well does it actually perform in real-world tests? This ExpressVPN review will give you the answer and reveal the pros and cons of this VPN.

Before we get into the details, this table highlights the key facts about ExpressVPN:

Website	ExpressVPN.com
Based in	British Virgin Islands
Logs	No logs (audited)
Price	$6.67/mo.
Support	24/7 live chat
Refund	30 days
Coupon	49% Off + 3 Months Free

In this latest edition of our ExpressVPN review, we took a deep dive to examine and test every aspect of this VPN:

• How fast is ExpressVPN with the new Lightway protocol and how does it compare to other VPN speeds?
• Do all of ExpressVPN's features and leak protection settings work correctly?
• Are ExpressVPN's apps secure and user-friendly?
• Can ExpressVPN unblock Netflix and other streaming services?
• Is ExpressVPN worth the (above average) price?

ExpressVPN Pros and Cons

We purchased an ExpressVPN account and tested their apps on both desktop and mobile operating systems to answer these questions and more. All test results are posted below.

Here is a brief overview of our findings:

FAQ

• Has ExpressVPN been extensively audited?
• Does ExpressVPN work for torrenting?
• Does ExpressVPN work in China?
• How many connections do you get with ExpressVPN?
• Does ExpressVPN offer a VPN router?

Now let's examine the details and findings of this ExpressVPN review, starting with the pros.

Here are the pros of ExpressVPN:

Secure, user-friendly apps

ExpressVPN sets a high standard for security with all their apps and infrastructure. The user-friendly lineup of apps has undergone intense scrutiny with security audits performed by Cure53 and others. In short, you will find this VPN to be both secure and user-friendly.

ExpressVPN offers apps for every major operating system and platform:

• Windows (version 11, 10, 8, and 7)
• macOS
• Linux
• iOS
• Android
• Routers
• Chromebook
• Amazon Kindle devices, Fire, and Nook

ExpressVPN also offers a feature they call MediaStreamer. This is a smart DNS service that is ideal for unblocking content and getting access to your favorite streaming content. Additionally, MediaStreamer is a great solution if you need to use a VPN for Apple TV, gaming systems, or other devices that do not normally support VPN apps.

And with more people going online for streaming news and other media, reliable apps for all devices are important. We examined ExpressVPN to see if it's the best VPN for streaming content online — and the results were pretty good. Below I'm testing the ExpressVPN Windows app for this review. You can see it has a clean and minimal design and it is easy to use:

Tapping the three lines in the top-left corner of the VPN app opens up a new window with more features and settings that we'll discuss in the review below.

The ExpressVPN apps have always had an intuitive design and a simple layout. Many apps are buggy and/or clunky, as we noted in the CyberGhost review. Based on our tests for this review, there is not much to criticize about ExpressVPN's apps.

Strong encryption and security

Based on our tests and everything we analyzed for this ExpressVPN review, this VPN does not cut any corners with security. And this is good, especially when you consider all of the security risks and attack vectors we've seen over the past year. Here are the different areas we examined: encryption, VPN protocols, security features, and leak test results.

ExpressVPN encryption

The cipher, key, and authentication with ExpressVPN depend on the VPN protocol you have selected within the VPN app.

With the OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols, ExpressVPN uses an AES-256 cipher with an RSA-4096 key and SHA-512 HMAC authentication. The Lightway protocol uses AES-256-GCM and ChaCha20/Poly1305 ciphers to encrypt traffic, along with D/TLS 1.2 for server authentication.

The AES-256 and ChaCha20 ciphers offer a very high level of encryption that is currently considered unbreakable. They also provide excellent performance, especially when used with Lightway (test results below). Additionally, ExpressVPN supports Perfect Forward Secrecy negotiated through a Diffie-Hellman key exchange.

VPN Protocols

ExpressVPN gives you the ability to select which VPN protocols you want will use directly in the apps. Below you can see the available VPN protocols in the Windows client:

With “Automatic” enabled, ExpressVPN will select the best VPN protocol based on your network settings. I tested out OpenVPN UDP and Lightway UDP for this review.

In my tests, Lightway was faster than OpenVPN by a large margin. If you want the best performance, then it would be a good idea to just use the Lightway protocol.

Network Lock (kill switch)

Network Lock is ExpressVPN's name for their VPN kill switch. This feature will keep your data secure by blocking all traffic if the VPN connection is lost. This ensures every data packet remains encrypted and secure, with your real IP address hidden at all times.

The feature is currently available in the following apps:

• Windows
• macOS
• Linux
• Routers

Below you can see ExpressVPN's Network Lock feature in the app's General settings:

In our tests for this review, the Network Lock feature worked well on Windows and macOS operating systems. It effectively blocked traffic when the VPN connection dropped or was interrupted.

A good VPN kill switch is important to keep your data secure if your connection drops for any reason. Most VPNs offer this feature, but in many cases, it does not work well.

Kill switch for mobile devices – On mobile devices, ExpressVPN does not offer the official Network Lock feature, but it still has a kill switch to protect against traffic leaks.

• Android has the “Network Protection” option that functions as a kill switch and will block traffic when the connection is lost.
• iOS has the “Auto-Connect” feature that will also block traffic and automatically reconnect the VPN when your internet connection resumes.

Threat Manager

Next up on our feature list is Threat Manager, a VPN ad blocker that will filter out ads, trackers, and malicious websites. The Threat Manager feature is a DNS ad blocker that works by filtering out domains associated with ads, trackers, and malware.

Threat Manager is currently available in the macOS, iOS, and Linux applications. I tested it out on macOS and everything worked well. You can see in the screenshot below that Threat Manager is activated directly in the VPN preferences area.

Like other VPN ad blockers we have tested, ExpressVPN's Threat Manager will only work if you are connected to a VPN server since it utilizes DNS filtering. You can see this notification at the bottom of the screenshot above.

ExpressVPN leak tests

I ran the apps through some basic VPN tests to identify any potential issues or problems. The main testing site I used was ipleak.net. I did not find any leaks or security issues with any of ExpressVPN's apps.

Below is one of the tests we ran showing no leaks with the desktop client for Windows:

With the tests above, you can see that the IPv4 address matches up with the New York server location, with the IPv6 address being blocked. The DNS leak tests show that ExpressVPN servers are handling all DNS requests. We did not find any leaks and rate this as one of the best VPNs for Windows.

I also ran the ExpressVPN macOS app and also the Android app through the same leak tests. As with previous tests, no leaks were found. These are the same tests that we ran in the NordVPN vs Surfshark comparison guide.

No-logs VPN in a safe jurisdiction

ExpressVPN is a verified VPN with no logs. It has passed independent audits and also real-world verification tests, as we'll show below. This is important because we have seen at least two cases of VPNs claiming to be “no logs” that were actually logging their users:

• IPVanish provided logs to the FBI for a criminal investigation (see the details in our IPVanish review).
• PureVPN also provided logs to authorities for a criminal investigation (see the PureVPN review for more info).

So let's get back to ExpressVPN. First, we will take a close look at ExpressVPN's policies, then we'll cover the real-world cases that verified these policies.

ExpressVPN's no-logs policy

If you want a VPN that does not keep logs, ExpressVPN is a solid choice. They explain their general stance on logging as follows:

ExpressVPN is a premium VPN provider focused on user privacy and anonymity. Our network is built around specifically NOT knowing the internet activities of our users. As privacy is a core part of our service offering, ExpressVPN is in the business of protecting our users’ private internet data.

In the Privacy Policy, they further explain:

We do not collect logs of your activity, including no logging of browsing history, traffic destination, data content, or DNS queries. We also never store connection logs, meaning no logs of your IP address, your outgoing VPN IP address, connection timestamp, or session duration.

That being said, there is an option in the apps to share crash statistics, which helps ExpressVPN improve apps, but this data is completely anonymized, does not include personal information, and is optional. Nonetheless, it can also easily be disabled with one click in the Settings area.

ExpressVPN passes third-party audits

ExpressVPN is probably the most audited VPN in history. And that's a good thing. These external audits confirm that this VPN does what the marketing says it does.

Over the last year alone, they have commissioned and completed a dozen audits by outside experts. These audits covered many different aspects of their service, including features like TrustedServer and Lightway, as well as the inner workings of the service.

Recently they completed three audits, one for each of their desktop apps. They commissioned Cure53 to audit their macOS and Linux desktop apps. Cure53 completed penetration tests and source code audits. These audits uncovered a few minor issues, which the engineers at ExpressVPN have dealt with.

The company also brought in F-Secure to do penetration testing and source code audits of version 12 of their Windows app. These audits turned up one minor issue that has also been dealt with.

ExpressVPN appears to be leading the industry when it comes to demonstrating the quality of their service through audits conducted by third parties. We can only hope that other companies will follow in their footsteps.

‘No Logs' policy verified with a server seizure

In December 2017, news broke that authorities in Turkey seized an ExpressVPN server in an attempt to obtain customer data. Before the server was seized in Turkey, Turkish authorities had attempted to force ExpressVPN to provide logs from the server in question. ExpressVPN informed the officials that they are a no-logs VPN, not subject to Turkish law, and they do not have any data to provide.

After these demands failed, the Turkish government seized one of ExpressVPN's servers but still came up empty-handed in their quest for user data.

Why is this important?

The relevant issue here is that the authorities were not able to obtain any customer data – either through demands or seizing a server – because there were no logs available.

This case from Turkey, and also the no-logs audit, confirm ExpressVPN's logging policies and overall commitment to securing customer data.

Note: There was also a situation where Windscribe servers were seized. Unlike ExpressVPN, however, the servers were not secured and authorities obtained Windscribe's private key, thereby putting Windscribe users at risk. We also covered this situation in our Windscribe VPN review.

An excellent jurisdiction in British Virgin Islands

ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). The BVI is an independent, self-governing entity with strict laws protecting the privacy of businesses and individuals operating there.

Unlike the UK, the BVI has no mandatory data retention laws or wide-scale surveillance programs, which affect UK VPN services. Similar to Switzerland, the British Virgin Islands are well-known for strong privacy protection and data secrecy, unlike the different Five Eyes countries.

The judicial system in the BVI also cannot be compelled to force companies there to produce records on their customers. As a country, the BVI is fully independent and does not fall under any other country's jurisdiction, despite the historical connection to Britain.

Large, secure VPN server network

ExpressVPN has a large selection of servers around the world, with a very secure network setup. At the time of this review, ExpressVPN has about 160 VPN server locations in 94 countries. This includes a total of more than 3,000 VPN servers.

This network size puts ExpressVPN on par with other big VPNs, such as NordVPN and CyberGhost. The one big difference is that ExpressVPN relies on more virtual server locations.

10Gbps servers

ExpressVPN is busily upgrading their VPN servers. They are upgrading their individual servers from 1Gbps bandwidth to 10Gbps bandwidth. While this can result in higher-speed connections in some cases, it is really about supporting more traffic without congestion. This kind of upgrade is important now and will be more so as 5G networks spread and start delivering vastly greater volumes of internet traffic.

The TrustedServer initiative

ExpressVPN is now one of only a handful of VPNs that run all servers in RAM-disk mode. In other words, ExpressVPN does not use any hard drives on its servers. Instead, they store everything in RAM memory. This network security setup is referred to as the TrustedServer feature.

The TrustedServer feature offers ExpressVPN users a higher level of security. We also discuss RAM servers in our NordVPN vs IPVanish comparison.

Does ExpressVPN offer dedicated IP addresses?

No, ExpressVPN does not offer dedicated IP addresses.

If you want a dedicated IP address, see my guide on VPNs with dedicated IPs for more details. (Note that dedicated/static IPs are not the best choice for privacy because your internet traffic is not getting mixed with other users.)

Works with Netflix and other streaming services

If you need a good VPN that works with Netflix and other popular streaming platforms, then ExpressVPN is a great choice. It is one of the few VPNs that continues to work with Netflix, providing 24/7 access.

For this review, I tested out US Netflix with an ExpressVPN server in Seattle. Everything worked perfectly, as you can see below.

To use Netflix with ExpressVPN, simply start the ExpressVPN app on your device, connect to a server of your choice in the Netflix region you are interested in, and then stream Netflix as normal. If you get any kind of proxy error when trying to view Netflix content, just contact ExpressVPN’s chat support and they’ll tell you which servers are currently working with Netflix.

ExpressVPN is one of the best VPNs for Netflix for three main reasons:

• Good streaming quality with high speeds (no buffering or interruptions)
• 24/7 access to Netflix (no network-wide blocks)
• Unblocks numerous Netflix regions around the world: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Spain, the UK, and the USA.

In addition to Netflix, ExpressVPN also works well with Disney Plus, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Kodi. ExpressVPN has fixed past issues with BBC iPlayer and is now one of the best VPNs for BBC iPlayer:

Lastly, ExpressVPN is also one of the few VPNs for Firestick with a dedicated app you can find in the Amazon App Store.

ExpressVPN browser extensions

ExpressVPN offers browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox browsers. The browser add-on is an extension of the ExpressVPN desktop app. This means you'll need to be running the ExpressVPN Windows, macOS, or Linux desktop application.

Why use the browser extension? The main reason is convenience. With it, you can easily switch to another VPN server location without leaving the browser window. Additional advantages of the browser extensions:

• Block WebRTC leaks in the browser (WebRTC is a privacy risk that can expose your real IP, even when using a good VPN).
• Spoof your HTML5 geolocation data in the browser.
• HTTPS Everywhere – automatically connects to the more-secure HTTPS version of websites where available.

Here's what the ExpressVPN browser extension looks like in Firefox:

The extension can be set to light or dark mode. We tested ExpressVPN's extension on Chrome browsers, then rated it as one of the best VPNs for Chrome. Everything worked well in our tests.

Split tunneling feature

ExpressVPN offers split tunneling in their applications for Windows, macOS, and Android apps, as well as on routers.

A split tunneling VPN allows you to select which apps will go through the VPN tunnel and which can bypass the VPN to the regular (unencrypted) internet.

Navigate to Settings to control this feature. By default, all traffic and applications are routed through the VPN. In the settings, you can select three different options:

1. All apps use the VPN
2. Do not allow selected apps to use the VPN
3. Only allow selected apps to use the VPN

If you click the second or third option, a pop-up window appears, allowing you to select the specific apps.

This is also really useful with routers because it allows you to select specific devices and/or websites to bypass the VPN.

Secure and reliable mobile apps

The ExpressVPN mobile apps I tested on Android and iOS performed very well.

Android users will be happy to hear they can take advantage of the Lightway protocol with the latest Android app release. This offers some advantages to mobile users:

• Seamlessly transition between different networks without your VPN connection dropping
• Faster download speeds
• Better reliability
• Improved battery life

Legacy protocols, particularly OpenVPN, simply do not perform well on mobile devices. Lightway solves these problems.

Note: Lightway is available for both Android and iOS mobile devices, as well as many other operating systems.

Below is a screenshot of the ExpressVPN Android app:

If you are a heavy mobile user, ExpressVPN has you covered with excellent mobile apps. See our best VPNs for Android for more discussion on this topic.

VPN router app

ExpressVPN is also one of the few VPN services that offer a dedicated VPN router app. The router app works on select router models with the supported firmware. (Check with support here to see which routers are supported.)

Using a VPN on your router is a smart way to get an unlimited amount of connections with your VPN. This is because the router will only count as one connection, but it will provide every device that connects to your router with the full benefits of the VPN: encrypted traffic, new IP address, and location anonymity.

If you want to use ExpressVPN on your router, you have the following options:

1. Use the ExpressVPN router app on one of the supported router models (recommended)
2. Manually setup ExpressVPN on your router (more work, but not too difficult with some routers, such as with most Asus models)

Using the ExpressVPN router app (option 1) is the best solution because it offers the following features:

• Easily switch between VPN servers
• Split tunneling (select which apps or websites bypass the VPN)
• Network Lock (kill switch) to block all traffic if the VPN connection drops

Note: ExpressVPN has begun shipping a VPN router called Aircove. This could be another option if you wish to run ExpressVPN on your router.

Good customer support and refund policy

While support with larger VPN services can sometimes be hit or miss, ExpressVPN has always provided us with good support.

I communicated with ExpressVPN support repeatedly for this review. In all my interactions, I found the support department to be prompt, knowledgeable, and polite.

You can get access to 24/7 live chat support directly through their website in the bottom-right corner. With all of my chat sessions, I was connected with a representative in under a minute (no long delays).

Live support by 24/7 chat is definitely a plus if you need help setting up the VPN on your devices or have specific questions that are not answered on the website.

30-day money back guarantee

Another great benefit of ExpressVPN is that it offers one of the longest refund windows in the industry. With all VPN subscriptions (even one-month plans), you get a full 30-day money-back guarantee. If you are not 100% satisfied with your VPN subscription, you can cancel on day 30 for a full refund, no questions asked.

Overall, ExpressVPN offers great customer support.

ExpressVPN is owned by Kape Technologies

In September 2021, we learned that ExpressVPN was in the process of being bought out by Kape Technologies. In our original article on the situation, we noted that:

• Kape Technologies was formerly called Crossrider
• Crossrider produced a browser development platform, which third parties (not Crossrider) used to infect devices with malware
• Crossrider shut down its development platform in 2016, began purchasing VPNs in 2017, and changed its name to Kape Technologies in 2018
• Kape Technologies owns CyberGhost, Private Internet Access, ZenMate VPN, and now also ExpressVPN.
• Kape Technologies owns VPN “review” websites that rank its holdings in the top spots.

While ExpressVPN is now owned by Kape Technologies, only time will tell how this affects the VPN. Right now it looks like ExpressVPN will continue to operate independently, despite its new owner. Additionally, ExpressVPN is performing better in our latest round of tests (compared to this time last year).

We have since done more research into this situation, including direct contact with Kape. While we will of course continue to monitor the situation, we are now much less concerned about this acquisition, and expect that ExpressVPN will continue to uphold their high standards.

Note: You can read our latest thoughts on the subject here.

Next up, we will look at some cons/drawbacks of ExpressVPN.

ExpressVPN prices

Another drawback with ExpressVPN is that it is more expensive than many rival VPN services (but also not the most expensive VPN). In short, this is not a cheap VPN.

With the regular pricing, the cheapest you can get ExpressVPN for is $8.32 per month or $99.95 per year. However, there is a discounted coupon rate that gives you three months for free with the coupon below.

While ExpressVPN is more expensive than some other rivals, namely NordVPN and Surfshark, the key question is value, or what you get for your money. In terms of value, ExpressVPN has a lot to offer, as you can see with all of the pros above. Based on the results and information in this review, these are the factors that make ExpressVPN stand out from other options:

• Faster speeds with the Lightway protocol
• Secure and reliable apps with strong encryption and built-in leak protection
• 24/7 access to Netflix and many other of the top streaming services
• Live chat support

Another factor that's important to consider is the history of the VPN itself. ExpressVPN has a squeaky-clean record going back many years. Additionally, it is a verified and proven no-logs VPN service that runs a very secure network.

ExpressVPN's Lightway protocol

After a long time in development, ExpressVPN officially launched the Lightway VPN protocol. Lightway is available on every major operating system: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and some router firmware.

So what does Lightway offer? Here's what I found:

• Faster speeds than OpenVPN
• Updated encryption standards
• Fast to establish connections (about one second or less)
• Seamless transition when going in and out of connectivity or changing networks
• Smaller code base makes it easier to audit than OpenVPN and IPSec

In many respects, Lightway is similar to the WireGuard protocol. It is smaller, leaner, faster, and more secure while solving a lot of the problems and baggage of legacy protocols like OpenVPN and IPSec/IKEv2. It's great to see this protocol is now live and supported in the ExpressVPN apps.

ExpressVPN speed test results

One of the biggest benefits of Lightway is the potential for faster speeds and better overall performance. I ran some tests of Lightway on a Windows 11 laptop with a 1,000 Mbps connection. Here are the test results:

ExpressVPN Lightway server in Seattle: 718 Mbps.

This is a pretty good speed test result, on par with what we've observed with NordVPN and Surfshark.

ExpressVPN Lightway server speeds in Los Angeles:

Another good ExpressVPN speed test result, but certainly not the best we've seen.

ExpressVPN Lightway server in New York:

Lastly, we also tested a server in the UK.

While Lightway is faster than OpenVPN, we still see that it's not quite as fast as VPNs that use WireGuard. You can see this in our ExpressVPN vs Surfshark comparison report.

Lightway vs WireGuard

So, from the speed test results above, we see that the fastest download speed we achieved with ExpressVPN was about 718 Mbps. Now let's compare this to NordVPN with WireGuard.

Here is a speed test with NordVPN using the WireGuard protocol, with download speeds of 755 Mbps:

As you can see, NordVPN with the WireGuard protocol is giving us download speeds that are slightly faster than ExpressVPN with Lightway. However, it's worth noting that ExpressVPN generally outperforms NordVPN in terms of upload speeds.

Recommendation: If download speed is your top priority, then check out NordVPN with WireGuard.

If you want to stick with ExpressVPN, your best bet is to just use the Lightway protocol. And with Lightway, ExpressVPN still beats many other services, as you can see in the ExpressVPN vs CyberGhost post.

Audited and open source

In August 2021, ExpressVPN announced that Lightway has officially passed a third-party audit and is being fully released under an open-source license. This means the code is available for anyone to audit, which further helps with trust and verification.

The audit of the Lightway protocol was conducted by Cure53, which is a well-respected cybersecurity firm that has also audited multiple VPNs. They had this to say:

The codebase observed on Lightway Core follows consistent coding patterns and exhibits—in the testers’ view—a high quality.

– Cure53 audit report

Cure53 retested Lightway in February 2023. Once again, the audit went well and Cure53 stated that Lightway was, “in a very good state of security.”

ExpressVPN has fewer features than other leading VPNs

The last con we are going to discuss with ExpressVPN is the lack of features.

ExpressVPN is more expensive than other leading VPNs but lacks many features offered by its competitors.

For example, here are some features of NordVPN (best overall VPN in our rankings) that are not available with ExpressVPN:

• Double VPN servers encrypt traffic over two separate hops. This adds a higher level of security for those who want it.
• Tor-over-VPN servers add an additional layer of encryption via the Tor network.
• Obfuscated servers allow you to use the VPN in restricted locations, where VPNs may be blocked.
• P2P servers that are optimized for torrenting and fast download speeds.

The lack of features was one of the big reasons that NordVPN came out on top in our ExpressVPN vs NordVPN comparison. In addition, NordVPN also runs all servers in RAM-disk mode but does not use any virtual server locations like ExpressVPN. Beyond that, NordVPN is rolling out self-owned (colocated) servers with high-speed 10 Gbps bandwidth channels. We discuss these items more in our NordVPN review.

ExpressVPN FAQ

Here are the answers to some of the common questions people have about ExpressVPN:

Conclusion: Is ExpressVPN worth the price?

Your data is a target for vast numbers of crooks and snoops around the world. Letting them get their hands on it can result in identity theft, having our devices hacked, or simply getting bombarded with targeted ads. ExpressVPN can help you keep the bad guys at bay.

Our test results show that ExpressVPN is a top-notch service. It is definitely worthy of consideration. To summarize, here are the main findings from this review:

• Safe offshore jurisdiction and company policies to protect customer data and user privacy.
• Continues to work with Netflix and most other streaming services.
• Huge selection of apps that are well-designed, secure, reliable, and user-friendly.
• Secure network with all servers running in RAM-disk mode.
• Good customer service with 24/7 live chat support and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

While there are a few drawbacks, we feel ExpressVPN is certainly a good choice for all types of users.

And if you want to give this VPN a test drive, then grab the coupon below for the best savings:

ExpressVPN alternatives

Click the VPN name below to read our full review – or click the discount coupon for the best savings. Both of these VPNs have a 30-day money-back guarantee, and both support the WireGuard VPN protocol.

1. NordVPN review  (with a 74% off coupon)
2. Surfshark review 
3. Proton VPN review
4. Mullvad VPN review

If you have used ExpressVPN, feel free to share your honest review (good or bad) below in the comments section.

This ExpressVPN review was last updated on January 7, 2024.